Brothers
by Ranting Flamer 2060
Summary: Just how far would Starscream go for his brothers?  pre-war AU
1. In Which There Are Sparklings

Konichiwa and all that good stuff! The two of us actually live, amazing isn't it? We present for your reading pleasure our first planned out multi-chapter collab. (Yes it will have more than one chap and a real plot, aren't you all excited?)

Disclaimer: If we owned transformers…*gets dreamy look at the possibilities* Sadly, no such luck TF is owned by HasTak and various other people who's names and affiliations are unknown to us.

Time Units: klik: second, breem: minute, joor: hour, orn: day, decaorn: week, lunar cycle: month, vorn: year

**Chapter 1: In Which There Are Sparklings**

* * *

There was a knock at the door and the seeker sparkling, who may have been red and white had he ever been cleaned, slinked up to open it a crack, hoping that he would find some energon waiting for him today. He didn't know who it was that occasionally left him nice presents, but it kept him from starving so he was grateful.

The seekerlet snagged the half full cube and, with a wistful glance at the sky, ducked back inside. He never knew when his creator would be home and it was best to be somewhere unnoticeable when she arrived. Holding the prize to his cockpit, the smudgy grayish sparkling retreated to his one haven: an old storage closet that his creator never used.

* * *

The young seeker tried to curl into a tighter ball. His creator had brought a 'friend' home from work again, and he tried desperately to drown out the noises that drifted through the thin walls. All he wanted was to sleep…

* * *

"You slagging moron! Look what you've done!"

She towered over his terrified, shaking form. All he'd done was spill half an energon cube while trying to get it down from a high shelf.

"I…I'm sorry…" he stuttered.

A resounding smack sounded through the small room and the seekerlet stumbled backwards holding a hand to his faceplates, tears welling in his optics.

"Get the frag out of my sight!"

He scampered back to the solitude of his closet.

* * *

"Come here Starscream," the young seeker's creator beckoned to him.

She was in an unusually good mood. It had been a long time since he'd seen her smile. He cautiously sidled up to the couch she was sitting on, edging slowly closer until he could see what she was holding. A look of awe crossed his faceplates. The tiny form was perfect. Starscream had never seen a sparkling before. Barely older than a sparkling himself, he knew that this was something to protect.

"His name is Thundercracker."

* * *

Less than a vorn later their creator was back to 'normal'.

"Shut it up! I can't take the crying anymore! I swear, if you don't stop right now, I'll give you something to cry about!"

Starscream grabbed his little brother and ran to the solitude of the closet.

* * *

"Whad'ya mean he's gotta go to school?"

Starscream was peeking around the corner to see who his creator was talking to. She looked annoyed, and that never boded well.

The mech she was talking to replied, "I'm afraid it's the law. He's already behind the other younglings his age."

The seeker femme downed the rest of the highgrade cube she was holding and frowned, "Such a pain."

* * *

Starscream put his hand on his younger brother's shoulders, hoping with all his might that the sparkling would understand him.

"You gotta stay in the closet, 'k TC? You can't come out fer nothin'. Please be good."

Thundercracker looked up at him with wide optics.

"'C come too?"

Starscream bit his lip. "You can't come TC, but I'll be back before you know it, 'k?"

Their creator's impatient voice filtered into their sanctuary, "Starscream, where the frag are you? If you make me late for work, I swear I'll make you wish you were never sparked!"

Knowing his creator didn't make idle threats; Starscream hugged his little brother and dashed toward the front door.

* * *

The two young seekers were in the living room playing. It was just after school, early enough for him to be fairly certain that their creator wouldn't be back anytime soon. He was helping Thundercracker stack some empty highgrade cubes. They were the only thing plentiful enough around the apartment to use as blocks.

There was a knock on the door and Starscream carefully balanced some highgrade 'blocks' so that he could look out the peephole to see who it was. Seeing only something on the doorstep he cautiously opened the door. It was a small medkit and some energon with a note that said 'Good luck at school'.

* * *

"Leave him alone!"

Starscream stood bravely in front of his cowering younger brother, arms outstretched. He was determined that their creator would not hit Thundercracker even one more time. The grey-red youngling's resolve crumpled into a haze of pain as he was back-handed.

* * *

Starscream was smiling brightly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy.

"Today's your first day of school TC, excited?"

Thundercracker bit his lip unsure. Starscream put an arm around the younger seeker's shoulders.

"You'll be fine."

'A whole lot more fine than you have been here', Starscream thought to himself. It was such a relief that he would no longer have to spend every day worrying about what was happening at home.

* * *

The teacher raised an optic ridge at Starscream.

"Let me get this straight, you 'fell down the stairs'?"

Starscream nodded, not daring to look up from his scuffed pedes. Falling down the stairs was a perfectly logical way to break one's arm. The teacher couldn't fault him on that part of his story, could she? There must be something he'd overlooked… maybe the bandaging? But he'd gotten pretty good at that…

The teacher broke through his revere.

"And the stairs left finger-shaped dents on you neck as well?"

The young seeker just nodded mutely and his teacher sighed.

"Go see the school nurse, here's a hall pass. I need to start class."

* * *

"Bastard! Your mother's a whore!"

Starscream was sick of it. Sick of the yelling, the jeering. It was past time to do something about it. He was done running. Skidding to a stop, he took the little group tailing him by surprise as he threw the first punch.

His classmates stayed well away from the now 'psychotic' seeker, but, oddly enough, Starscream liked it better that way.

There were however exceptions…

"This is the fifth time this lunar cycle you have been in my office for fighting. What do you have to say for yourself?"

The principal had her hands on her hips and the permanent glare on her face intensified, if that was possible.

Starscream shrugged. "They started it."

"Started it how? According to several reliable witnesses, you threw the first, second and third punches."

Starscream just glared at the floor as he muttered, "My mother is _not_ a whore."

* * *

"Class make sure your creators get the job shadow forms signed. I need to know which creator or family friend you are going with and what their job is by the end of this decacycle. Also, for those of you thinking of sneaking out of it, there will be a three page report due afterwords."

Starscream nervously chewed his lip. Talking to his creator was always nerve-wracking. Normally he got out of it by forging her signature, but if he needed to actually have someone to shadow…

* * *

Knocking softly on his creator's door Starscream listened carefully for the response to see what type of mood she was in. If she was in a good mood, she might tell him to come in, if she was in a bad mood, a highgrade cube hitting the door was the best answer he could expect.

"What the frag you want now? I paid the rent already."

Her slightly slurred voice wafted through the closed door.

Starscream grimaced, well, at least she was in a halfway decent mood, if a little tipsy. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

"Um, mom? I have this paper I need you to look at…"

He paused and waited for her response. She gave him a look reminiscent of the one he'd given a turbo-rat he'd found in the kitchen that morning and snatched the paper from his hand.

Her next response was not one he expected.

"Hahahahahahaha! You're kidding right? You want to job shadow _me_? Oh man, that's the best joke I've heard in a long time. I can see it now, the title to your report: My Creator the Pleasurebot."

More laughter followed.

Starscream collected the paper as it drifted to the floor and walked out. Time for plan B, find and follow the street cleaner.

* * *

"Star, I'm hungry." Thundercracker whimpered, rubbing his stomach.

"I know TC."

It was all Starscream could say. There just wasn't much to go around lately. The energon that had been periodically left on the doorstep for so long hadn't been seen in nearly half a vorn.

Looking at his brother, Starscream decided enough was enough. He got up and headed for the door. TC's puzzled expression followed him.

"Where're you goin'?"

"To find food."

There was a grim determination about Starscream that Thundercracker didn't dare question. Starscream was bound and determined to come back with something even if he had to steal it.

Looking through the trashcan behind a filthy bar, Starscream found several half full highgrade cubes. Well, at least it was something.

* * *

Once again, Starscream was back in the dumpster behind the filthy little bar. He'd started to frequent this one as it always had the best spoils in it. As he was finishing rummaging, something snagged the protruding edge of his left wing and yanked.

"What're you doin' in my dumpster yeh filthy miscreant?" A deep voice growled. "I been watchin' you for quite awhile, and I want yer keister outta here."

Starscream didn't give a second thought before he replied to the mech holding onto his wing.

"What's it look like I'm doing? Surviving off of your trash. You know you're throwin' out perfectly good highgrade and even some plain energon? Just cuz it's been drunk outta is no excuse for waste."

The mech holding him raised an optic ridge at him.

"You sure are a funny little seeker." Taking a closer look at Starscream the mech smirked down at him. "Just 'cause your so funny, I'll make you a deal. You start working for me, and I won't report ya to the police for stealing, I'll even pay ya a small sum of money."

Starscream yet again didn't think twice.

"Deal."

* * *

Letting the young seeker go, and giving him a time to show up for work, the mech shooed him out of the alley. Watching the brightly colored, if rather scruffy, youngling leave he grinned.

"Just got myself a pretty server for less then minimum wage. Should attract some nice business."

* * *

Starscream stared up at the seemingly massive school in front of him. One of the best schools in the city. If he could get into this school he could change his life around. With a diploma from a decent school he could get at least a halfway decent job, maybe even go to a university… he squashed that last thought as soon as it appeared. University was for rich mechs, not the likes of him.

When the counselor had talked to him about highschool, she had suggested this school to him, saying that she thought he had good enough grades to get a scholarship there. Starscream had applied for the scholarship and gotten it, so here he was to fill out the final paperwork.

Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to get an idea of the tuition and get Thundercracker enrolled here as well; as a private school it had gradeschool through highschool. With his new job, there was a chance he could afford it. Wasn't like he had much else to spend the money on other than energon and basic school supplies.

* * *

"I have to get a physical?" Starscream's wide opticed look as he squeaked that out made the principal laugh.

"It's standard procedure for all new students. We just want to make sure you're healthy. I understand you don't have a lot of money, but don't worry; having our own medic is one of the free services we provide to students here. You can go straight there when we're done talking. It's right in the middle of campus."

A few minutes later Starscream found himself in front of the med center doors with his fist poised to knock. He never got the chance, the doors opening automatically as his hand moved forward.

The tri-colored seeker stood there, frozen, until a voice barked "Well, what are you waitin' for? I don't have all day!"

Starscream quickly bolted into the brightly lit medical center. It was empty.

"Umm… excuse me? Sir?"

Laughter brought his attention to the open office door he had overlooked when he first entered.

"Sir huh? Kid, 'sir' is my creator. I am most assuredly _not_ a sir. That's why I didn't join the military. You can call me doc, medic, heck you can call me the tooth fairy if you really want to. But be warned if you choose that one…" This said, the medic emerged wiping a good sized wrench with a soft cloth. "I think the last youngling that did that one is conscious again…maybe." At that the medic smirked and held out his hand to the seeker. "What's your name?"

* * *

Starscream did a victory punch in the air. He'd done it. Gotten enough money to make a down payment for TC's tuition and begged enough hours at work to be able to make all the payments. Thundercracker would be able to go to the same school he did. It did help that TC had gotten a partial scholarship.

Starscream grinned. His little brother had beat out a dozen rich kids for it too.

* * *

"It's okay TC, he's not as scary as he acts." Starscream reassured his brother as they headed to the med center for Thundercracker's new student physical.

"Are your sure Starscream? It sounds like he's throwing things in there." Thundercracker looked warily at the med center doors.

The older seeker nodded. "Oh no doubt. It's probably just Professor Wheeljack being put back together again. His classroom tends to explode every now and again."

Thundercracker looked horrified. "What does he teach?"

Starscream smirked. "Engineering."

* * *

Starscream limped into the med center and sat heavily in a chair. He was glad the medic was in his office with the door closed. The young seeker wasn't in a hurry to attract the medic's attention this orn… not when he'd just been in here for a dislocated shoulder two orns ago.

A little while later the medic came out of his office to start setting up for the day, only to stop short at the pathetic looking seeker sitting there waiting for him. An optic ridge was raised.

"You _again_? What could you have possibly done in two orns?"

Starscream stared up miserably at the one adult he almost trusted.

"I wasn't trying to get hurt! I-"

He bit his lip and finished the thought in his head, 'It's not my fault mom's been in a bad mood lately.'

The medic sighed, "Then care to tell me what happened?"

Starscream shrugged and then hissed when the movement pulled at his injured arm.

"Tripped."

The medic looked him straight in the face.

"Bull. But I know you're not going to tell me anything else, so let's get your ankle fixed and get you back to class."

* * *

Starscream walked slowly home from work; today had been particularly hard. The customers at the bar were complaining left and right, and nothing he did seemed to please any of them. On top of that, either he was getting extra paranoid, or he was being followed…

Less than a klik later, his paranoia was rewarded. Out of the shadows a black and silver mech materialized.

"Well looky here. A pretty lil' seeker all alone..." The mech gave Starscream a malicious grin.

For his part, the tri-colored seeker just glared. "Frag off groundpounder."

The black and silver mech took on a wounded air. "Oh, that hurts seeker." But he didn't stay 'wounded' for long. "I like a good fighter. It makes this much more interesting."

As he talked, he kept coming towards Starscream.

The seeker had just enough time to think, 'Fraggit, this was _not_ on the agenda for today', before the first punch was thrown.

* * *

The black and silver mech's name was Driftblade, and fighting with him soon became a regular event. He seemed to have a love of jumping Starscream on his way home from work.

The first time Driftblade brought his whole gang Starscream knew he was in deep slag. The fight hadn't been going for very long but he was losing badly. It wasn't looking like it could get much worse when the Enforcers showed up.

"Scramble!" Driftblade shouted, "Everymech for himself."

Starscream knew he had to get out of there. If he got caught by the Enforcers, well his school had little tolerance for trouble makers. At best he'd lose his scholarship. At worst, the Enforcers would snoop into his personal life and realize he was a runaway with less than legal employment…

Fighting his way through the Enforcers was very much _not fun_. They were everywhere and it seemed like every time you got past one, two more took his place… Cursing the fact that his thrusters were useless, thus making escape by flight not an option, he kept trying.

Starscream had a moment of panic when strong black arms grabbed him, but instinct took over and he bit down _hard_ on the offending appendages. The mech swore and dropped him.

As soon as he was clear of the swarm of Enforcers and gang members, he ran.

* * *

The night that the new sparkling entered their lives was miserably dark and stormy.

Starscream and Thundercracker had been having a frustrating evening attempting to do their homework with the power out. Their creator came into the apartment, the door slamming shut behind her. Stomping up to Starscream she shoved something into his arms.

"Keep it out of my sight. And more importantly, my hearing."

Looking down, Starscream's jaw dropped. In his arms was a newly sparked seekerlet. It was black and purple and mewling hungrily.

Starscream glanced towards the door his creator had disappeared into. She had not seemed in a good mood; he would have to figure out how to keep the sparkling quiet until she left again. He grabbed an energon cube that still had a little bit in it and set about figuring out how to transfer it from the cube into the sparkling.

* * *

An orn or so later, he'd managed to get out of his creator that yes it was hers, no it didn't have a name, and no she didn't want anything to do with _it_.

Her words exactly.

The weekend was almost over and Starscream worried about what he'd do with the sparkling when he had to go to school. It was Thundercracker who came up with answer.

"Why not just take him?"

Starscream raised an optic ridge.

"Him? And like the school administration would let me."

Thundercracker rolled his optics at his older brother.

"We've gotta call him something and I refuse to use 'it'. We can get the medic to tell us when we get to school tomorrow. And tell the principal that we can't afford a sitter and mom works all day. It's not rocket science Star. Though maybe it'd be easier for you if it was." This last was added with a cheeky smile.

Starscream glared at the blue seeker.

"If you weren't holding the sparkling…" He trailed off threateningly.

TC stuck out his glossa and smiled. "Yes, yes, you'd beat me to a pulp, etcetera, etcetera…."

* * *

"So it's healthy and stuff right?"

Starscream shuffled his pedes nervously as he waited for the medic to reply.

The medic frowned a bit, "He's kind of undernourished."

Starscream sighed. "I was afraid of that. I just wasn't sure what or how to feed it. I ended up just dipping my fingers in an energon cube and then letting it suck on them." There was a pause as the tri-colored seeker processed what else the medic had said. "He?"

"Yep, definitely a mech. What's his designation?"

Starscream shrugged. "Can't you just look it up or something?"

Raising an optic ridge, the medic gave Starscream an odd look. "He's a bit young to have any official records to check… didn't your creator tell you what she named him before dumping you with sparkling-sitting duty?"

"What she named him?" The tri-colored seeker looked at the medic quizzically. "Doesn't he, I dunno, come with a designation?"

"Not quite. Usually the creators pick one within the first couple of orns, if not before the little one's sparked."

"Oh." Well that certainly wasn't going to work. Their creator didn't even want to feed the sparkling, let alone name him. Starscream was quite for a moment, thinking. After a breem, he looked up at the medic. "Could you help me think of something?"

* * *

"We can't afford a sitter right now and my mom works all day. Is there any way I could bring him? It won't be any bother, I promise."

Starscream pasted on his most sincere smile and hoped that the principal would say yes. If he couldn't bring the sparkling to school, he'd have to drop out. There was no way he was letting the little purple and black seekerlet die.

The principal rubbed his head wearily.

"Well you are one of our top students, so I suppose as long as it doesn't hamper your learning or that of any of your classmates…"

"Thank you sir, thank you! You won't regret it!"

Smiling slightly at the enthusiastic response he replied, "I'd better not."

* * *

Starscream sighed. It had been a _long_ day. It turned out that sparklings were femme magnets. And Primus, if he didn't see another femme this side of the next millennium, it would be too soon. And it was only lunch time.

Starscream ducked into the library and sighed in relief when it looked like no one had followed him. Smiling to himself he started in on his calculus homework.

Halfway through the first problem he heard the dreaded cooing. "Ohhhh isn't that just the cutest thing! Can I hold him? What's his name? Awwww!"

Starscream slowly started smacking his head on his text book. The femmes had found him.

* * *

It didn't take long for it to get around the school that nerdy Starscream who didn't care about anything except his homework, had gotten himself a _sparkling_ of all things. The rumor mill had a field day.

"Hey Screamer, heard you got yourself knocked up!"

"Do you even know how to take care of a sparkling?"

"Yeah, it'll probably starve to death while he does his science homework, haha."

"Leave him alone guys."

The last comment came from a red groundpounder, Sidespawn or some such. The mech was the class clown and probably just annoyed that the attention was being directed away from himself.

Starscream ignored them and went back to feeding the hungry sparkling. Not that any of those imbeciles cared, but the medic _had _shown him exactly how to take care of the sparkling, given him a bottle and blanket and even helped come up with a name. The teasing didn't bother him. It _didn't_. He hadn't had or even wanted any friends before and he sure as pit didn't need any now. Thundercracker and little Skywarp were all he needed.

* * *

"Is there anything you want to tell us? _Anything_ at all? If there's any problems at home, your creator not treating you correctly, just tell us. We can get you out of there, somewhere safer."

Starscream glared down at his pedes. There was nothing, _nothing_, he wanted to tell these fraggers. They were trying to tear apart the life he'd so carefully built for himself and his younger brothers. These fraggers were _not _going to destroy that. So he just shook his head.

The social worker gave him a stern look.

"Think about your brothers."

Starscream gave the mech the sweetest smile he could muster.

"Thanks, but I am. We're fine, really." And shifting the recharging sparkling in his arms, he walked out. He would _never_ let anyone take his brothers away.

* * *

So there's the first chapter. Please review. Let us know if you like it, hate it, are indifferent. Constructive criticism welcome. Flames will be thoroughly laughed at and then used to make s'mores.

Also, we read much more fanfic than we've seen or read of canon. If something we assumed was canon belongs to one of you, please let us know. We would love to credit you.

There were quite a few human terms that we were having a hard time trying to figure out how to make sound more Transformer-esque. If anyone has any suggestions, let us know.


	2. In Which the Seekers Run Away

Disclaimer: we no own… anything recognizable belongs to HasTak. Driftblade belongs to Kittara.

See, chapter two already. We told you it'd have more than one :3

A big thanks to everyone who reviewed and to our awesome beta TaraLynden.

**Chapter 2: In Which the Seekers Run Away**

* * *

Starscream raced home as fast as he could, cursing the school administration, their love of putting the big exams on days when there was no regular school and their petty insistence that all communication devices be turned off for the duration of said exams.

When he'd switched his comlink back on at the end of the day, he'd been bombarded by urgent messages from Thundercracker, and to make matters worse the blue youngling hadn't answered any calls he'd sent in reply. Starscream was terrified of what he'd find when he got home.

Bursting through the door to the small apartment he stopped, optics widening at the sight.

"-you were the worst mistake of my life! I hate you! Because of you my life is ruined!"

Their creator was screaming and sobbing at the top of her vocalizer, while furiously beating Thundercracker.

Starscream could see Skywarp behind TC, he was crying hysterically but not moving much. The red and white youngling raced into the thick of things in time to catch the next downswing of her fist on his wings.

"What in the pit are you doing?" Starscream yelled, trying to wrestle her away from his brothers.

The femme managed to get a few more good swings in before Starscream pushed her off of him and into the wall. She finally seemed to recognize her oldest creation and became even more incensed.

"After everything I've done for you throughout your miserable little life, this is how you repay me?"

Starscream snapped.

"You have done nothing!" He snarled, advancing towards her.

* * *

A short while later, the red and white seeker limped over to his semi-conscious siblings and took stock of their injuries. After patching a few major energon leaks, he slung Thundercracker over his wings, picked Skywarp up and headed for the door.

Starscream never even paused to look back at the now unconscious form of their creator as he left.

* * *

Starscream had stumbled through the backstreets until he couldn't drag his younger brothers any farther, then he'd found a deserted alleyway that, luckily, had an abandoned shipping crate in it to shelter them from the elements and settled down to repair TC and Skywarp as best he could with his limited knowledge and even more limited supplies.

It didn't look terribly good. Starscream didn't have to be a medic to figure that much out. They'd both lost energon that they couldn't really afford to lose, considering the rations they lived off of, from a myriad of injuries. Their 'loving' creator had to have used a weapon of some sort at one point, but the scene in the apartment was such a blur that Starscream couldn't remember what it could have been, if he'd even seen it. Skywarp had lost consciousness at some point, probably from a combination of pain and the stress of the evening.

Starscream felt the worst about Skywarp's injuries. The sparkling would be in a world of pain when he woke up. There weren't any painkillers in the emergency medical kit, and even if there were he had no idea what kind of dose to use on a mech that young. He was furious with himself for not being able to protect his siblings. They were his responsibility, if he didn't look out for them, no one would.

Starscream bit his lip and prayed silently to anyone or anything that might be listening, then, as finished with repairs as he was able to get, the youngling helped the still seimi- coherent Thundercracker rearrange himself as comfortably next to his brother as he could and held Skywarp closer as they fell asleep, praying that everything would be alright.

* * *

Thundercracker onlined his optics and immediately wished he hadn't woken up. Not only did it seem to be the middle of the night, but everything hurt. Pit, he hadn't been this sore since the last time…he couldn't currently think of a last time, it was hurting too much to try, but he was sure there must have been one at some point.

As soon as TC's optics focused, they lit on Starscream's worried face.

"Star? Wha' happn'd? Where are we?" The blue youngling croaked out and grimaced, both from the pain and the realization that his vocalizer must be damaged.

Starscream comfortingly stroked Thundercracker's helm as he answered. "She beat the slag out of both of you pretty bad this time. A shudder ran through Starscream as his voice broke.

Thundercracker curled up even closer to his older brother. "When're we gunna go back?"

Starscream looked down at the two younglings who were all he had, and made a silent vow to keep them from ever being hurt like this again.

"Never."

* * *

Waking up the next morning was the epitome of not fun. They were stiff and sore and so low on energy that they'd had to shut off the insistent warnings that kept flashing across their vision so that they could concentrate.

As predicted, Skywarp was screaming, letting the world know that he was both hungry and in pain. Starscream was just grateful that the sparkling felt good enough to scream. TC stood up slowly and took Skywarp from his brother, so that Starscream could both maneuver himself out of a sitting position and access his subspace to get what little energon they had on hand. The red and white seeker stood, took half a step and was back on his knees, gasping.

"Frag…"

Concerned, TC walked over. "Star, you 'kay?"

Taking a closer look the blue youngling realized that Starscream had been injured too. The ugly gashes on his wings and left leg were smeared with copious amounts of dried energon. His reserves had to be about depleted. "Why didn' you 'ave me 'elp you with that las' nigh'?"

Starscream gritted his dentia before replying. "I didn't notice."

Thundercracker put Skywarp down and patched up Starscream's injuries for him, then insisted that his older brother have his share of the half cube of energon.

"But-" Starscream protested.

Thundercracker perfectly forestalled any further protests. "Starscream, you're too fraggin' big for me to carry. I need ya' to be able to make it to school. I have 'nough energon reserves left for tha' much."

"Fine."

As much as he saw the point, Starscream hated seeing his younger brother go without for his sake. He fed Skywarp first, but the purple and black sparkling didn't feel good enough to take in much, and purged about half of that. Starscream finished off the cube and they started towards school, working on their excuse for being injured _this time_.

* * *

The medic frowned as the all too familiar forms of a trio of seekers appeared in his office first thing. "You again? All I asked was that you wait a few decaorns before getting injured again." He sighed dramatically. "Apparently that was too much to ask."

Starscream grimaced. "Sorry, I did want to try to avoiding coming down here, but there's just something about being half unconscious that doesn't work so well in class..."

At this the medic looked closer at his recurring patients. "Primus, what'd you lot do this time? Don't often get all three of you… And if you use the 'I fell down the stairs' excuse on this one, I'll have to fix you all just so I can beat you myself. I don't know of any stairs around here big enough to inflict that kind of damage on three mechs at once."

Starscream tried to smirk at that, it almost worked. He knew the medic's threats were empty… mostly. Slagging medic did have a fondness for giving errant patients a good whack with his favorite wrench if he felt they were being overly stupid. "Nah, I've used my quota of that one for the semester. We got jumped by some thugs, walkin' through the wrong part of town."

"You and your bull. You're smart enough not to take a sparkling down there."

Thundercracker shrugged and then winced when the action pulled at injuries on his wings, speaking up for the first time since they'd walked in. "Gotta get home somehow."

The medic sighed, knowing there were so many things his young patients wouldn't tell him and wishing the seekers would trust him a little more. All Starscream would outright tell him or the school was that his creator worked all day, which necessitated his bringing Skywarp to school with him.

Whenever he was questioned about the various injuries he or his brothers invariably came in with, the young seeker would shrug them off with some ready made excuse. But after a few vorns of treating him, the medic could read him fairly well and had a good, and probably more accurate than he'd ever know, guess as to how the injuries were truly obtained.

The white medic sighed again and, gently taking the injured sparkling from Starscream, got to work.

* * *

Starscream sighed as he headed away from the schools medical center rubbing his helm.

That wrench hurt. Slagging medic, there had to be some sort of law against hitting patients upside the helm with the broad side of a wrench... Wasn't _his_ fault he couldn't stay out of the school's med center for more than a week at a time… well, not entirely his fault anyway… between his creator and run-ins with the local gang leader Driftblade, what could he do?

At least Skywarp wasn't in much pain anymore and would be recovered in a few orns. Starscream mused on how he could kiss the mech who invented pain killers. Though it helped that the sparkling's injuries weren't quite as bad as he'd first feared.

Checking his chronometer, he decided to skip the last few breems of class and headed, still limping slightly, straight for the lunch room. He'd grab his homework later.

He snagged some energon from the counter, sat down, and then started to study as he fed a drowsy Skywarp the precious energy. The medic had given Starscream some energon in the med bay to ensure he actually got some in his system, not trusting his troublesome patient to refuel out of his sight with the number of times he'd seen the tri-colored youngling for energon deprivation. Starscream didn't take notice of anyone coming up beside him until a black hand gripped the top of his data pad and yanked it out of his hands.

"-Are you even listening to me?"

An annoyed voice filtered down through Starscream's mental trigonometry calculations as he glared up at the owner of the hand still holding his homework.

"No. I wasn't." Starscream's clipped tone gave away his annoyance at the interruption. "Now give me back my data pad." He held out his hand to retrieve the stolen pad.

"Not 'til you answer my question." The red mech grinned cheekily at Starscream. The seeker recognized him from some of his classes, one of the few mechs that would bother to give him the time of day. Sidespawn, he thought was the other's name, not that he really cared to know for sure. This particular mech was more trouble in class than even _he_ was with a fussy Warp.

Starscream glared again. "I already did, NO, I was not listening. Now give."

"Missed you in class. Where were you? Trig just doesn't make any sense when you're not there to harass the teacher for explaining it weird." Sideswipe handed Starscream's data pad back now that he had the seeker's attention.

Starscream shrugged and turned back to his homework. "Med center."

Sideswipe winced. "I'm sorry. That medic's evil."

Starscream didn't even bother looking up from his homework. "He's not bad. We're used to each other." 'And he's a lot less nosy than some,' he added silently.

The red mech must have accepted this answer, as he left the table to join his friends. Starscream shrugged off the random questioning, and went back to his studies; just as Skywarp knocked the mostly empty cube onto his brother's half finished homework.

"This day could not get any worse…"

* * *

Starscream was tired. Work had been particularly busy tonight; just the thing to top off a hectic decaorn of trying to survive on the streets with two younger brothers to look after. Sighing he grabbed a small amount of energon from the break room to give to TC and Skywarp, and left the bar, subspacing his tips. He frowned at the amount. Thundercracker's tuition payment was due soon and he was still short.

Walking down the dark street, he saw movement out of the corner of his optic. Suddenly four mechs melted out of the shadows.

"Hey pretty lil' seeker," the leader sneered, putting a heavy hand on Starscream's shoulder. "Out here all by your lonesome at this time of night, again. Why don't you let us give you an escort?"

The others leered at him.

When Starscream attempted to shove off the hand, its grip tightened.

"This is getting old Driftblade." The red and white seeker hissed. "Now kindly frag off, so I can go home and get some beauty rest." Then he smirked. "Perhaps you should try some too. Certainly couldn't make that ugly mug any of yours any worse."

Driftblade spun him around by the shoulder until he had Starscream by the wings. "I'd watch that vocalizer if I was you. If'n you value yer wings, that is. If not, then by all means, carry on."

"Very well. It's not that I don't value them, see…I just have this, problem, disorder, whatever you want to call it, and I just can't seem to get myself to shut up. You've got scuff marks on your arm, by the way." Starscream stated with an air of superiority.

The black and silver mech growled and twisted Starscream's wing. "You're gonna have more than scuff marks on your arms seeker."

Starscream went down on one knee to prevent more pain than necessary. Driftblade laughed. "Care to help gentlemechs? Let's see if'n we can't help out our good friend Starscream here and cure his 'disorder'."

* * *

Thundercracker was worried. Starscream should have been back joors ago. His older brother had told him time and again not to wait up for him, but the blue youngling couldn't sleep until Starscream was home safe. Finally he decided to go looking for Starscream, after making sure that Skywarp was fast asleep, courtesy of a combination of exhaustion and the last of the pain killers the school medic had given them, TC left the small shelter.

Halfway to Starscream's workplace Thundercracker finally found him, or what looked like it might be Starscream…

"Star? That you?" TC resisted the urge to go poke the miserable looking pile of parts.

Starscream looked up at the sound of Thundercracker's voice. "TC, what are you doing out here?" Starscream's voice was just above a whisper. Thundercracker was overjoyed at finding Starscream alive and ran up to him.

"Star! What happened to you?" Up close Starscream's injuries looked even worse. "Primus Star, can't leave you alone for a breem can I?"

"Don' worry so much TC, 'll be fine…go visit the school medic in the morning and he'll fix me right up…"

"Granted you can even get there…" came Thundercracker's darker reply.

Somehow Thundercracker helped Starscream hobble home. They didn't bother with recharge as it was practically time to leave for school by the time they got back and Starscream wanted to make it to the medical center before students started swarming the halls. There was just something awkward for the proud seeker about the thought of wandering down the hall hanging onto his younger brother, not something he particularly wanted an audience for.

* * *

Starscream poked his head through the med center door to see if the medic was there yet. Not seeing anyone, TC helped him settle on a chair and put a still recharging Skywarp on the floor next to him.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Thundercracker asked.

Starscream answered without looking up, "No, you need to get to class, it's not cheap you know."

Thundercracker reluctantly nodded and started off on the short walk across campus to the middleschool.

* * *

The medic was having a horrible morning. His alarm hadn't gone off, so he was late for work and on top of that his morning energon was _not_ doing its job of waking him up properly. He'd also slept funny and his back hurt. Hopefully things would improve once he got to the school and he could just sit in his office and…work on paperwork or something else that didn't require either a functioning processor or dealing with other mechs.

He walked through the door of the med center, saw the recharging seeker curled up on a chair with a drowsy sparkling whimpering on the floor, and groaned.

"Please say I'm dreaming. Let this be a recurring nightmare or something…" he muttered to himself.

At the sound of his muttering the seeker stirred and the medic could hardly fail to notice that he looked extra fragged up today.

Walking up to the half coherent seeker he knelt down. "Primus kid, didn't I just see you a couple orns ago? And what in the fragging pit did you do now?"

Starscream didn't move, but a hoarse whisper could be heard. "What does it look like happened? Got slagged by Driftblade's gang."

The medic raised an optic ridge. "Used that one last time."

"I swear that's really what happened this time." came the edgy reply. "Was on my way home from work."

As this was more details than the young seeker usually gave out, and he had practically admitted that the last visit's excuse had been a lie, the medic was inclined to believe him.

"Alright, don't get your wings in a knot."

Starscream snorted painfully. "I think Driftblade beat you to that one."

The medic sighed, "Alright, so that wasn't the best choice of words…" With that he gently helped the seeker up, and over to the repair table.

After cataloging Starscream's various injuries the medic grabbed his chin to be sure his stubborn patient was listening and said "You _will_ rest tonight. That means I want you doing nothing except recharging, got that?"

Starscream lowered his optics, "Can't. I've gotta go to work tonight."

The medic raised an optic ridge, surprised the seeker was being so honest and started scanning for a concussion, finding one; he said the first… _kindly put_ thing that came to mind. "So call in sick."

The red seeker rolled his optics, "Yeah, _that'll_ work. My boss said the only excuse good enough to miss a shift is if I'm unconscious in the hospital."

The medic grinned evilly. "That can be arranged quite easily."

"How're they gonna buy that if I have to be conscious to call in?"

It was the medic's turn to roll his optics as he jabbed his patient with a sedative, "Give me the phone number and your boss's name dumbaft. I'll call them."

"Thanks Ratch," Starscream muttered as the drugs kicked in.

* * *

Ratchet paused for a klik as Starscream's thanks sunk in. That was the first time his young patient had ever used his name. He looked down at the unconscious form and smiled fondly. This was why he was working as a school medic when he had the qualifications to be at a hospital or clinic. It had started out as an internship, but he'd fallen in love with the younglings, not that he'd ever tell _them_ that, and decided to stay.

'Silly young glitch. Gonna get himself killed if he carries on like this. I should report him... but if I did, he'd likely just run.'

* * *

Thundercracker hadn't found Starscream at their usual meeting place, so he decided to check the medical center, in case his brothers were still there. He walked in and found the medic playing peek-a-boo with Skywarp while Starscream recharged on a repair berth.

"Um, excuse me?"

Ratchet looked up. "You're not hurt _again_ are you?"

Thundercracker smiled slightly, "Nope, not yet anyway. How's Star?"

The white mech smiled back at him.

"You can drag Starscream's chassis home as soon as he wakes up. I already called into work for him; he's not allowed to do anything except relax tonight."

Reining in his surprise that Starscream had willingly told the medic where he worked, Thundercracker nodded his thanks.

Skywarp chose that moment to interrupt. "'C, hold!" The sparkling reached out to his older brother.

Thundercracker smiled, took Skywarp from Ratchet, and made himself comfortable while he waited for Starscream to wake up.


	3. In Which Sideswipe Gets Help

Disclaimer: not ours

Just want to let you reviewers know that you're amazing and the reviews make an author's day! = )

**Chapter 3: In Which Sideswipe Gets Help (not of the mental variety...)**

* * *

Starscream stared hungrily through the treat shop window on his way home from work. It brought to the front of his processer just how long it had been since lunch, if he could even call a fourth of a cube lunch.

"Fragging morons, why do they have to taunt us like that? It should be illegal to have a display that looks that good…"

"Well, that's kind of the point, isn't it?"

Starscream jumped. He hadn't even noticed the other mech walk up behind him. Primus, he must've really been distracted, he'd tried to be more careful since the last…incident with Driftblade.

Turning around swiftly, Starscream came face to face with the same red mech who had swiped his data pad at lunch a few solar cycles back.

"What's the point?" he asked guardedly.

Sideswipe gave him a funny look. "You know, make it look really good, mechs come in and buy their stuff." He pointed at the display to ensure the seeker could not be confused.

Starscream glared. "I'm not stupid…just don't know why they've gotta have so many flavors…" he finished in a mutter.

The red ground pounder smiled cheekily. "Cause they're just that good. And so are the treats."

Starscream snorted. "Yeah, maybe if you're rich." He regretted saying that the instant it left his vocalizer.

Sideswipe raised an optic ridge. "You telling me you've never had one of those before? You're joking, right?"

"Hmph." was all Starscream replied as he turned and started walking off.

"Hey, wait up! I'm sorry, was it something I said?"

Starscream turned to glare at the mech who was now following him. "No, it was something the guy across the street said!"

"But there isn't anybody across the- oh. Well, I did say I was sorry. My name's Sideswipe, by the way, we never did introduce ourselves properly did we? We're in a few of the same classes, math which I'm sure you remember, and history."

Sideswipe held out his hand to Starscream. Starscream glared at the offending hand, seriously considered biting it, and sped up.

No point mentioning that he already knew everything Sideswipe had just told him. The stupid data pad stealing groundpounder acted like he was totally unobservant or something. Starscream hadn't stayed alive this long by being _that_ dense.

Sideswipe was undeterred by the brush off and matched his pace.

"Would you fragging well stop following me?" Starscream snarled. He was getting thoroughly annoyed with the overly cheerful red mech.

"Who said I was following you? I've gotta go this way to get home. I was at this awesome party-" Sideswipe grinned.

Starscream interrupted him with a rather loud sigh. He did not even _want_ to know what one of the 'rich brats' was doing on this side of town.

Finally they got to the alleyway the seekers currently called home and Starscream smiled in relief. He could finally get rid of the annoying ground pounder who hadn't shut up the entire walk. He looked behind him. Sidewipe or whatever he'd said his name was _still_ following him!

"I know for a fact that _your_ house is not _this_ direction! This is a dead end. Now quit following me and go home." With that, Starscream walked into the alleyway.

"But I had one more question."

Sideswipe doggedly followed Starscream into what was a rather dark and gloomy alleyway, wondering what the pit the seeker was doing _here_ of all places. He didn't have long to wait to find out, a smaller light blue seeker emerged from what could only properly be called a box.

"Starscream, you're back early! How'd work go?" The youngling walked up and gave Starscream a hug.

"It was okay. The usual: whiney customers being a pain in the aft. They let me off early since it was pay day."

TC's optics lit up, knowing that pay day meant a slightly larger amount of energon that night.

Question forgotten, Sideswipe could not believe his optics. "You… live in a tinfoil box?"

Thundercracker glared disapprovingly at the strange mech. "Do not. It's corrugated sheet metal, thank you very much."

Starscream also was glaring heatedly at Sideswipe. "I told you to frag off and go home." Turning back to his younger brother and pushing him inside, he asked, "How was Warp?"

Aforementioned sparkling chirred happily at the sight of his oldest brother and demanded to be picked up. "Up! Up!"

Starscream was just pulling out that night's cube of energon when Sideswipe's unwelcome head poked through the opening and into view.

"I remembered my question."

Starscream had to exercise all his self control to not beat the slag out of the groundpounder, partly because of the impressionable young minds present and partly because he'd probably pass out from lack of energy half way through beating said annoyance, and wouldn't that be embarrassing?

"What is it? I thought the inquiry about my living space was your question. "

"Well, you know how we've got this math test tomorrow…? And I know you're really good at that kind of stuff, so I was kind of wondering-"

Starscream cut him off. "Either get to the point or leave."

"Would you come over to my house and help me study?" Sideswipe said in a rush.

Starscream's optic twitched. "You followed me all the way here to ask me that?"

Sideswipe gave Starscream his best angelic smile. "In essence, yes."

Starscream sighed. "And pray tell; why would I do this?"

"I'll feed you."

Starscream just glared again. "I don't take charity."

Sideswipe gave his best affronted look. "It's not charity, its payment. The teacher said I'm gonna fail his class if I don't pass this test...and then I'll be grounded for _life_…if my mom doesn't murder me first… You can bring the two of them."

The red mech gave his best bumble puppy optics, the ones that almost never failed to get him his way.

Starscream gave Sideswipe a calculating look, wondering if the other mech's creator would truly follow through like that or if he was exaggerating.

"Fine. Just this once. But if the administration gets any word of my, ah, living conditions, I _will_ beat the slag out of you."

Sideswipe nodded at the pissy seeker. "Understood! Let's go, my homework awaits!"

With that the four headed up out of the slums into the middle class housing.

* * *

"Wow."

Starscream looked around the spacious interior of Sideswipe's home, managing to mostly hide his awe.

"Holy Primus, you live in a mansion?" Thundercracker wasn't doing quite as good a job at that.

Sideswipe laughed at Thundercracker's face. "If you think this is a mansion, you should see the houses further up the hill! Now those are big." Sideswipe left the three seekers in the front entryway and found his femme creator. "Mom, I've brought some friends over for studying tonight."

This done, Sideswipe went back to the seekers and led them up the stairs to his room.

When the four of them got to Sideswipe's room a yellow groundpounder looked up from where he was sketching in the corner. "Did I hear you correctly? You're going to study? Should I take a picture to commemorate such an astonishing event?"

Sideswipe picked up the object nearest to him and lobbed it at the yellow mech. "Shut it Sunny." He then turned to the three seekers. "This is my ever so loving twin brother Sunstreaker. Anyway enough introductions, text book's awaiting!"

As Sideswipe walked to the other side of the room, a rather large paint can made contact with his helm.

"You gunna tell me your friends names or do I have to sit here and wonder as to the identity of the mechs that could actually inspire my brother to study? Though I'm not sure where you picked up the sparkling… going for friends more on your mental level?" Sunstreaker smirked at his brother.

Sideswipe picked up the empty paint can and put it on a shelf, and stuck his glossa out at his brother. "Come on, you're not _completely_ oblivious are you? Not only does Starscream win every math and science award the school has, but he's the only mech in the entire school that's always toting around a sparkling." He looked at Starscream. "Er, what are the other two's names?"

Sunstreaker just rolled his optics. "Yes, because you're the all knowing gossip guru. I shall bow before your infinite knowledge." Sunstreaker caught the object Sideswipe threw at his head.

"Fragger. Go back to your doodling."

Just then they heard the sounds of a sparkling beginning to throw a tantrum and remembered they weren't alone in the room.

Starscream shifted a squalling Skywarp in his arms, trying to quiet him. "This is all _very _fascinating, but I have a paper to write and a million other things I could be doing. I didn't get off work early for your entertainment, you know."

Sideswipe looked down. "Sorry about that. So what were your brother's names again?"

Starscream's optic twitched, but as he'd gotten the seekerlet calmed, he deigned to answer. "I never said… The older one's Thundercracker and the sparkling is Skywarp." Handing Skywarp to Thundercracker, Starscream then proceeded to move to where Sideswipe had sat down with his text books. "Let's get this over with."

Just as they were about to commence studying, there was a knock on the door and the twins' femme creator poked her head in. "Did you boys want some energon goodies? They're fresh."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker perked up at that. "Definitely!"

Their mother put the plate on the floor and left with an admonition not to have too much fun.

Thundercracker just stared at the plate like he'd never seen anything like it as Skywarp crawled over to it and started helping himself.

"Are those really energon treats?" TC asked uncertainly.

Sunstreaker rasied an optic ridge. "What do they look like? They sure as pit aren't turbo rat slag."

Sideswipe agreed with his brother the best he could with a mouthful of the delicious goodies.

"Whan sum?" He offered one to Starscream.

Starscream was also eyeing them suspiciously, as if they might bite him.

"They're not poisoned." Sunstreaker offered as he took one. "You act like you've never seen energon goodies before."

At that, Thundercracker tentatively took one of the treats. As he bit into it his optics lit up. "This is really good! Didn't think you could get energon to taste like this."

Starscream finally broke down and snagged one for himself, not acknowledging Sunstreaker's comment, then after regaining Sideswipe's attention he began their study session.

* * *

It was late. Thundercracker and Skywarp had fallen asleep against Sunstreaker, who surprisingly hadn't minded.

"Well, that's the last of it. Do you think you understand it now?" Starscream asked Sideswipe.

Sideswipe groaned he closed his textbook. "I think I overloaded my processor… how can you possibly _enjoy_ this stuff?"

The seeker grinned. "Overloaded huh? I didn't realize you liked math that much."

The red mech rolled his optics and groaned realizing there were indeed two ways to take that comment…

"Think of it as a puzzle." Starscream suggested.

"I'd rather not thanks…"

"Anyway, it's late and I should get those two home, preferably sometime before we have to wake up." Starscream stood up and went over to his brothers. "Hey, get up, we've got to go home now."

Thundercracker slowly came out of recharge as Starscream gently took Skywarp out of his arms.

"Star?" Starscream smiled down at his groggy brother.

"Time to go. We do have school tomorrow."

"ummm hmmmm…" Thundercracker mumbled, as he got unsteadily to his feet.

* * *

"Ratchet?"

"Hmm?"

Starscream was in the med center _again _having had yet another 'talk' with Driftblade.

The tri-colored seeker nervously bit his lip. He really didn't want to have this conversation, but he had to make sure the medic wouldn't rat him out. "About what I told you the other day…about where I work?"

The white medic didn't even look up from fixing the seeker's arm. "What about it?"

Starscream took a deep breath and went on, "You won't tell anyone will you? I can't lose that job… You can't possibly understand how much I need the money…"

"Tell who what?"

Starscream grinned. "Thanks."

As the seeker left, Ratchet sighed. He hoped he was making the right decision.

* * *

Over the next few weeks helping Sideswipe with his homework became a routine. The red groundpounder would show up during lunch or corner him after school in the library or, most obnoxiously, follow him home.

"Screamer, Screamer… hey! Hey whatcha doin?"

A black hand waved itself in front of Starscream's face as he tried in vain to concentrate on the text he was reading.

'Deep breaths Starscream,' he told himself. 'Count to ten. Backwords. Punching him in the library will only get you kicked out which will _not_ help you write your report.'

The seeker gave up after a few breems deciding that whoever thought that counting to ten made you not want to punch someone had never truly had the urge to do so. Stupid anger management counseling… That slag hadn't even worked when he was in gradeschool.

"What. Do. You. Want. Sideswipe?" Starscream hissed out through gritted dentia. "I. Am. Trying. To. Write. My. History. Paper."

Starscream's rather uncharitable mood had finally penetrated Sideswipe's thick helm.

"Ummm…. Bad time to ask for help?"

Sideswipe scurried off as the seeker growled at him.

"I don't get this at all! Math is the epitome of all evil! Evil I say!" Sideswipe banged his helm on the table.

Starscream just smirked.

* * *

Kittara: Ha! Cliffhanger!

Kittona: Um, no.

Kittara: Okay, maybe not… but still! You don't know where they are going next right?

Kittona: *raises eyebrow* um home, right? There're only so many places one goes after studying.

Kittara: *pouts* Ruin all my fun… here I am trying to be all mysterious…

Kittona: And failing.

Kittara: *sticks out tongue* Anyway, see all of you in the next chapter! *Waves*


	4. In Which Sideswipe is a Stalker

I totally meant to get this posted last week... but I've been trying to get art stuff ready for Anime Banzai, and it ate most of my computer time... but I have for your viewing pleasure some pics I drew for this story. Links are in our profile. :)

~Kittona

**Chapter 4: In Which Sideswipe is a Stalker**

* * *

Since Starscream often worked late, Sideswipe started making an appearance at his work to get help. The owner of the bar didn't mind, as long as the seeker's work still got done. He couldn't care less how old the patrons were as long as they were spending their credits.

The first time this happened Starscream raised an optic ridge. "How do you know where I work? You're stalking me aren't you?"

Sideswipe gave him a lopsided smile. "More or less."

Starscream just shook his head. "Whatever… Now what did you want? I'm kind of busy, in case you hadn't noticed. I don't get my paycheck for standing here looking pretty."

"Could have fooled me." Sideswipe quipped back.

Starscream rolled his optics. "Either tell me what you're here for, or _leave_, my boss is giving me 'the look'."

Sideswipe grinned and pointed at the menu. "Okay, okay. I'll have one of those, and I kinda need help with my homework again."

"Oh, one of _those_ huh? _So _helpful. We've only got about ten different _those_ on the menu, which I might add is _behind_ me." Starscream snarked.

Sideswipe snickered at Starscream.

"The tri-flavored highgrade drink? And about helping me with my homework…"

Starscream went to get the drink for Sideswipe, making sure it had no actual highgrade in it (that would only make his pupil's thick helm thicker) but charging him full price all the same. "Aren't you a minor? Not that we ask for ID here… anyway, if you get caught it's not my problem, but you sure as pit didn't see me here. What is it this time?"

Sideswipe groaned and nearly sunk to the floor in despair. "Math…"

Starscream smirked. "Again? Didn't any of it manage to penetrate that thick helm of yours the last three times?"

"Yes." Sideswipe huffed indignantly. "This is a new section."

"Psh. It's all the same once you understand it." Starscream handed Sideswipe the drink. "Go find a place to sit, and I'll help you when I get time to wash tables."

* * *

"You're doing it wrong." Starscream commented from where he was cleaning two tables away.

Sideswipe groaned. "How can you even see what I'm doing from there?"

Starscream smirked, "I'm talented like that. You can't divide by T, how many times do I have to tell you?"

"But, but…it's the only way to isolate Q!"

"Nope, think harder."

"Ugh! This is impossible! If I think any harder, I'm gonna melt my processor!" Sideswipe barely resisted the urge to start smacking his helm on the table.

Starscream sighed, went over to Sideswipe, pulled the datapad away from him and began doing the problem step by step. "It's time for my break anyways…"

* * *

It was fragging late by the time Starscream and Sideswipe left the bar. Helping Sideswipe with his homework had taken longer than anticipated, and Starscream was practically running to the alleyway. He'd commed TC to let his brothers know he'd be late, but he still hated leaving them for this long. The alleyway he'd picked might be unused, but that didn't make it safe.

When TC stuck his head out of the shelter, Starscream gave a sigh of relief. They were okay.

"Star! Guess what! Someone left us some cubes of energon today!"

Starscream was immediately suspicious. "Let me see. You didn't drink any of it yet did you?"

Thundercracker gave his brother a patient look. "Of course not, _mother_. I was waiting for you to check it out first."

Starscream glared playfully at his little brother. "Well excuse me for not wanting to end up purging my tank because it's contaminated or poisoned or something."

Thundercracker shrugged and handed over the energon. "It looks fine to me."

Starscream inspected it for a few kliks and had to concede that indeed it did look perfectly fine. "Why would someone just leave good energon in an empty alleyway?"

"Technically it's not empty. We live here." Thundercracker pointed out.

"Hmph." Starscream muttered as he took a sip.

* * *

Sideswipe coming to visit Starscream at work for help became part of the routine. On Starscream's days off they'd go to Sideswipe's house but otherwise meeting at the bar just worked out better. Occasionally Sunstreaker even tagged along.

* * *

Starscream trudged through the dirty streets, not even pausing to enjoy the fact that the sun was still up. Whenever he noticed, it just reminded him of how officially screwed he was. They'd been cutting back his hours at work for the last while, but he'd never thought something like this would happen…

He'd gotten to work and his manager had called him over for a private conversation. "Starscream, I'm sorry about this, but we're going to have to let you go. The cops are getting too nosy for us to have minors hanging around."

With that he handed the seeker his last paycheck and told him he could go. Starscream managed to keep the look of utter despair off his face until he left the bar. What was he going to do? Without a job he wouldn't be able to pay TC's tuition, pit forget that, he wouldn't even be able to afford energon to feed the three of them. The free lunch at school only went so far. The anonymous energon had continued to appear sporadically, but they couldn't count on a completely unknown source to just keep coming indefinitely.

Starscream was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed he'd arrived at the alleyway, and was completely oblivious to the red mech standing next to the little shelter.

"Starscream? You're supposed to still be at work…" Sideswipe's voice cut into the white seeker's thoughts.

Starscream looked up numbly. "Sideswipe? What are you doing here?" Then he noticed what Sideswipe was holding. "And what's with the energon cubes?"

Sideswipe gave him a cheesy grin and tried vainly to hide them behind his back. "Um…payment for my last homework session?"

Starscream rubbed a hand along his helm. "Sides… just leave… I can't deal with you today…"

Sideswipe's grin faded. "Something wrong? What happened to those random snide remarks of yours?"

"No, nothing's wrong! I've had the best day of my entire fragging existence!" Starscream snarled. "In fact, I'm so happy, I could go paint happy little petro rabbits all over the slagging school walls!"

Sideswipe was torn between concern and busting up laughing. Unfortunately for his continued health, the image of Starscream painting the smiling petro rabbits on the school walls won out.

A now seething Starscream glared at the obnoxious groundpounder who was now laughing so hard he could barely stand. Without bothering to think about it, he punched the fragger in the face plates.

The punch knocked Sideswipe completely off balance and into the wall. He looked up at the irate seeker. "Oww… Hey, I'm sorry… You wanna tell me what happened?" Sideswipe mumbled through the energon leaking out of his nose.

"I just punched you, that's what happened, and if you don't leave _now _it'll happen again."

Thundercracker picked this moment to poke his head out of the shelter. "Guys, what's going on? All the yelling's upsetting Skywarp."

Starscream gave Sideswipe an even darker look, if that was possible. "Now look what you did!"

Sideswipe had had enough by this point. "What _I_ did? You're the one doing all the yelling…and punching…"

Sideswipe cursed his lack of thinking before speaking the instant he said this, worried he'd inadvertently set Starscream off again. All the eldest seeker did, however, was glare down at him, and then hastily followed Thundercracker into the shelter as Skywarp began to scream.

Starscream yelled back at Sideswipe, "I lost my job, okay? Happy now? Just leave us the frag alone!"

Sideswipe watched them go.

"What the frag?"

Slowly he got up from the ground; put the scattered energon cubes in a neat pile, and left, only glancing back to make sure Starscream didn't have some sort of projectile aimed at his head.

* * *

After having a few days to cool off and think, Starscream decided there were definitely better ways he could have handled the confrontation with Sideswipe. The red groundpounder had been avidly avoiding him since and the seeker was starting to miss his obnoxious prattle. Starscream was sitting at his lunch table staring dejectedly at his homework and looking the epitome of seeker misery, but at least Skywarp was happy. Poor kid had no idea that they only had enough energon for another day or so. Starscream sighed, ignorance was bliss. He looked up as Skywarp chirred.

"Sai-sai!"

"Hey Warp!"

Sideswipe sat down in the chair across the table Starscream, and started amusing the small seeker with datapad origami he had made in his engineering class. "Feeling less inclined to rip my head off today, Screamer?"

Starscream raised an optic ridge. "Sideswipe… has anyone ever told you that you have no tact?"

Sideswipe grinned widely. "Yeah. Sunstreaker does that on a daily basis, and like you're one to talk." The red groundpounder ducked as an empty energon cube flew at his helm.

Starscream couldn't help but smile at the obnoxious red mech. "You're not half bad, for a groundpounder."

Sideswipe raised an optic ridge and smirked. "Cause you fly _all the time_ huh? Weren't you saying just the other day how your thrusters don't work?"

He had to duck again as a datapad came at his helm. "You don't have to be so fragging literal." Starscream groused.

Sideswipe just grinned. "Anywho… to get to the point-"

"You have a point? You mean there's actually a reason for this conversation? Is the world ending? Or are you just failing math again?" Now it was Starscream's turn to duck as the origami datapad flew gracefully over his helm, changing shape from a turbo rat to a crane as it went.

"Ha, ha. I was going to ask if you wanted to come over to my place after school, and no, I am not _completely _failing my math class this time." Sideswipe got up and retrieved the origami from the floor now back in its original datapad shape.

"Sure, why not. It's not like I've got work or anything…" Came the muttered reply.

"Great!"

* * *

Even after having been over to the twins' house several times, Thundercracker was still amazed at how big it was, and it looked even bigger in the daytime.

The five of them sat outside as it was a nice day. Sunstreaker was painting and Skywarp had an unhealthy interest in the paints.

"Ooo! Waz it?" the little seeker asked as he tipped the can over onto himself.

He then let out a squeak of surprise as the contents turned out to be _wet_, of all things.

"No bath!" he then stood up and proceeded to attempt to get away from a very irritated Sunstreaker.

The others just looked on, amused.

"Warp, if that was a bath, you wouldn't be turning _orange_." Starscream grabbed the now colorful sparkling and Sideswipe directed him to the nearest washracks as he went off to grab drying cloths.

Thundercracker got up and followed his brothers to the washracks. It had been orns since he had a wash. Walking into the area, he was amazed.

"Starscream? Are the washracks not supposed to smell funny?"

"Probably not. And apparently a residual green slime isn't mandatory either." Starscream replied.

"What? Have you guys _never_ seen clean washracks before?" Sunstreaker raised an optic ridge at the seekers.

"Only if the ones at school count."

"_No_." Sunstreaker gave them a disgusted look. "Are those seriously the only ones you've ever used?"

Starscream shrugged. "Pretty much. We tried to avoid using the ones at the apartment…they were for the whole building." He shuddered. "Now they were nasty. I don't think they were _ever _cleaned. At least the school's are cleaned every so often."

Sunstreaker shuddered again. The _horror_. He didn't even want to think about what said green slime would do to his paint.

"That settles it."

All three seekers looked at him blankly.

"Settles what?" Starscream asked.

"You're all getting a proper washing!"

Skywarp started squirming harder. "No! No bath!"

Sideswipe came back with drying cloths. "Who's getting a bath? I thought we were just doing Warp…?"

After hearing his twin explain the situation, "And they've been sitting in _our_ room!" Sideswipe left to go get more drying cloths.

Sunstreaker picked up a scrub brush and put some cleaner on it.

"What's that for?" Thundercracker eyed the yellow twin nervously. "It looks like a torture device…"

Sunstreaker gave the seekers another appalled look. "You've never used a scrub brush…"

Starscream glared at him. "It's not like the school leaves stuff like that just lying around, you know."

Sunstreaker ignored the red and white seeker and walked over to Thundercracker.

"Now hold still. This isn't going to hurt." he added on as the blue seeker started to edge away from him.

Sideswipe came back and picked up another scrub brush and started on Starscream's wings, as Starscream finished cleaning up Skywarp.

* * *

Two hours later, three very clean seekers came out of the washracks.

"Wow Star, I didn't think your paint was that white…" Thundercracker mused.

Sunstreaker's face lit up.

"Paint!"

Starscream looked at him with some concern and started to edge away. "Do I even want to know?"

"We've gotta do something about those pit awful paint jobs!" Sunstreaker was about to drag them up to his room when the twins' mother called them to dinner.

"Well, I guess we'd better go then…" The seekers had always either left before dinner or not arrived until after. Starscream started herding his little brothers towards the door.

Sideswipe gave him a puzzled look. "Go? Nope, you're staying for dinner."

Sideswipe then grabbed Starscream's wing and dragged him back into the dinning room. "Mom, Starscream, TC and Skywarp are gonna stay for dinner, 'k?"

She looked up from getting energon cubes together. "That's fine dear."

They all sat down at the table and the twins' mother brought out the energon. Thundercracker's optics widened at what was put in front of him. "Are you sure it's okay to have that much? I don't think I can eat that much anyway…"

Starscream was staring at his portion as if it had grown a head as well. "Are you sure? That is a lot of energon…"

"Nonsense! That's a perfectly normal portion." The orange femme gave the two of them a strange look.

At that point a large black mech entered the room. "Focus, I'm home."

Focus smiled and stood up. "Welcome home Axel. Would you like some energon? We were just sitting down to dinner."

Starscream glanced up, saw the shiny Enforcer badge, shot a panicked look at the huge mech and mentally calculated the distance to all the exits. Fragging idiot groundpouder 'friends' had never mentioned one of their creators was an Enforcer…

Thundercracker was looking nervous too. At least the kid had good survival instincts.

Sideswipe did introductions.

"Um, Dad, this is Starscream, he's the one who's been helping me with my homework, the blue one's Thundercracker, and the sparkling is Skywarp."

Starscream wished he could just disappear, or at least not be noticed until he could make a run for it. 'Sideswipe I'm going to kill you.'

Axel turned and looked at the three fairly scuffed up seekers. "Nice to meet you. Sideswipe doesn't bring very many seeker friends home."

"That's 'cause the rest of them are stuck up jerks." Sunstreaker muttered.

Axel laughed and rubbed his son's helm. "I'll give you that one."

Sunstreaker immediately smacked his father's hand away. "You're smudging my clean paint!"

Axel chuckled and then sat down at his place. Focus brought him some energon and then sat back down herself.

After consuming his first cube, Axel's attention went to the guests.

"So where are you from? I thought I knew all the seeker families living around here."

Thundercracker and Starscream looked at each other worriedly.

"Umm…"

Sideswipe spoke up for them. "Down in the slums."

His father looked disapprovingly at him. "I think they're capable of answering questions themselves." Sighing he turned back to Starscream. "So what part of town? There are plenty of areas that are considered 'the slums'."

"Ah, the south edge of town." Starscream replied quietly.

Axel focused on him, making Starscream wish he had lied, but the officer simply responded conversationally. "That's one of the worst places to live. You never know what's going to happen. Just last week we had a unit hospitalized because of a surprise gang attack."

"Which gang?" Thundercracker asked, looking slightly less intimidated now that the conversation was on familiar grounds. "Most of them keep away from the Enforcers."

"Well of course it'd have to be Driftblade's." Starscream interjected scathingly, then wished he hadn't as he saw Axel's look intensify.

Axel looked over at Starscream darkly. "Actually you're right, it was Driftblade's group. Do you know him?"

"Yeah, he's a pompous jerk." Starscream grunted, avoiding Axel's gaze. "Told him so to his faceplates once. Maybe that's why he doesn't like me."

"He's a dangerous mech to have for an enemy." Axel commented.

"No kidding." Thundercracker agreed. "He goes after Star all the time."

"And you're still in one piece?" Axel looked at Starscream in surprise.

"Well…we have a really good medic at school." Starscream suddenly became very interested in his second cube of energon. 'And it's kinda hard to frag someone who's in multiple pieces… I'd think it'd take some of the enjoyment out of it…' Starscream thought dryly in the back of his processor.

Axel didn't press the issue, but instead changed the subject to the different hobbies the seekers may have, which surprisingly, was just as awkward of a subject.

"Um, well…I like math and science…and um…reading is fun…" Starscream stumbled through the answer.

"What about you Thundercracker?" Focus asked kindly.

"Ummm….I don't really know…school, I guess…oh, and playing with Warp." Thundercracker murmured.

Sideswipe interrupted, "You don't know… How can you not know?"

Thundercracker shrugged.

* * *

After dinner, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker dragged the seekers up to their room for a re-paint courtesy of Sunstreaker. By the time he had finished it had reached the very late hours of the night. Focus stuck her head in the room.

"You three still here? Why don't you stay over, it's too late to be walking home."

Starscream gave her a small smile. "We'll be fine. It's not far from here." he lied through his dentia.

Focus raised an optic ridge. "According to what you told Axel at dinner, it's on the other side of town."

Starscream looked up at her sheepishly. "We'll be fine; I used to walk home from work this late all the time. We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome."

Focus narrowed her optics. "Not another word young mech. You will be staying the night. I'll set up the guest room for you. No arguing. I'm not letting you take that sparkling to where Driftblade might be."

Starscream sighed, knowing she had a point. "If you're sure it's no trouble…"

The femme gave a firm nod of her head and the discussion was over.

* * *

"You look so serious Axel, hard day at work?" Focus walked over and sat down on the couch next to him.

Axel smiled at her, "No, not particularly. I was just thinking about those seekers. Particularly Starscream. You remember when my unit broke up that fight with Driftblade's gang a few vorns back?"

Focus raised an optic ridge. "Which time? You can't possibly expect me to remember them all…"

Axel gave her a half smirk. "Oh, you remember this one, I promise. The time I came home with bite marks."

The orange femme started laughing. "Oh yes, that one."

"The seeker that bit me looked suspiciously like Starscream. He also looks suspiciously like the seeker youngling we suspected of working at that bar…"

Focus looked disapprovingly at her sparkmate. "He said at dinner he wasn't involved with Driftblade."

Axel shook his head sadly, "Just because Driftblade doesn't like him, does not mean he's not involved in the gang, besides I see younglings lie about stuff like that nearly every orn. Generally the more they resist the idea of help or adult 'interference' the more they need it."


	5. In Which the Seekers Move

I'm really sorry it took so long to get this up...

As always, you're reviews are amazing, thanks to all of you. And a reminder that there's links to some art on our profile page.

Special thanks to our beta TaraLynden she is amazing. *hugs and cookies for the beta*

Disclaimer: we no own Transformers

**Chapter 5: In Which the Seekers Move**

* * *

The next morning Sideswipe peeked into the room where the seekers were staying. All three of them were curled up together on the berth. Starscream was leaning against the wall, TC pillowed on his shoulder with his arms around Starscream's cockpit and Skywarp on his lap.

"Awww," Sideswipe grinned "Almost makes me want to wake up Sunny to see this… Almost."

Deciding to let the seekers sleep, Sideswipe went downstairs to see what Focus was making for breakfast. Big mistake, Focus cornered Sideswipe in the kitchen and started drilling him for answers about the living conditions of the seekers.

"Dad! Dad! Mom's attacking me again!" Sideswipe tried getting out of answering the barrage of questions she was firing off, while scooting to the kitchen doorway.

"Good, builds character." Axel answered from the other side of the room. "And I want the answers to those questions as well. It's not everyday a prime suspect of gang related activity waltzes into my humble abode."

"Umm…I think I'd better go make sure Sunny's awake…" Sideswipe nervously tried to edge out of the room.

"Not so fast youngling!" Focus grabbed Sideswipe's scruff bar and dragged him back. "You will answer those questions before going anywhere."

Sideswipe shrunk down. "Starscream'll kill me!"

Axel smirked. "I'm sure your mother will get to you first if you don't answer her questions."

"This is extortion, or, or blackmail or something! He's finally starting to trust me; I can't do that to him!" Sideswipe tried getting away again, and was failing epically. Focus had an amazingly powerful grip.

Axel stood up at this point, walked over to the struggling pair and put a hand on Sideswipe's shoulder. "Forget what Starscream will think of you for right now, this is for his own good."

Sideswipe squirmed experimentally and then gave up when Axel's hand wouldn't budge. "Fine… but I can tell you right now he's not in any gangs. He has this bad habit of taunting them though…"

* * *

Sideswipe came into the room as the seekers were starting to get up. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. They forced me into it."

Starscream looked up at Sideswipe's forlorn expression quizzically. "Who forced you into what?"

Sideswipe shuttered his optics, and sat down next to the seekers. Skywarp crawled into his lap. "Mom made me tell her where you live… in detail."

Starscream narrowed his optics at Sideswipe, "You. Did. What?" he hissed dangerously. His hands clenched at his side, it would not be good to deck Sideswipe in his own home. Especially if Axel was still there. He grabbed Skywarp off of Sideswipe's lap.

"Come on TC, we're leaving."

Thundercracker silently got up and followed Starscream out of the room, leaving an uncharacteristically subdued Sideswipe sitting on the berth. TC turned and gave an apologetic flick of his wings to Sideswipe, before following Starscream out.

Sideswipe got up from the berth and watched through the window as the three left. "Slag… I really screwed up. At least he didn't try to slag me this time…" After a few kliks something very hard hit the back of his helm. "Frag it!" Sideswipe yelped and looked down at the assaulting projectile. 'An empty paint can?'

"Sideswipe, don't let mom hear that vocabulary, and what did you do now?" Sunstreaker was leaning against the wall next to the doorway, arms folded across his chestplates.

Sideswipe sighed and turned back to the window.

"I just lost the only non-prissy seeker friends we had..."

* * *

Starscream spent the rest of the day hunting for a new place to live on top of trying to find a job; cursing Sideswipe all the while. This was why he didn't get close to anyone, it was just asking for trouble. He scowled at himself. 'I ignore my common sense, and look what happens! Now two adults know! I won't let them take TC and Warp away from me.'

After a day of fruitless searching, Starscream made his way back to their box. Thundercracker met him at the opening to the alleyway.

"Any luck?"

"Yeah, I found a good looking spot an hour or so from here. No luck on the job front though."

* * *

After days of job searching, the small stockpile of energon getting smaller and smaller, Starscream broke down and went with the one job he knew was always hiring.

He arrived back at their box with the news.

"I found a way to get some credits. I'll probably be back late, don't wait up for me."

"You found a job?"

"Well…sort of. Just don't worry about it, okay? And stay out of sight."

Giving TC a quick hug, Starscream left.

* * *

Starscream was gone all night, and when he got back he was a bit of a mess, but he now had enough credits to get energon for the next few days.

Thundercracker did not see this in as positive of a light as his older brother.

"Frag, Star what on Cybertron were you doing?" TC demanded worriedly as he patched him up.

Starscream was trying not to fall into recharge as he answered his brother's question.

"Don't worry about it TC. It pays well enough to keep us fed."

Thundercracker gave the red and white seeker an exasperated look.

"That's not what I'm concerned about. You were gone all night and then came back looking like you had another 'conversation' with Driftblade."

Starscream grinned at that.

"Nah, everything's still attached this time. And no I didn't see Driftblade. And quit looking at me like that, I didn't rob a bank or anything."

TC eyed his brother.

"You couldn't rob a bank even if you tried. You're too fragging brightly colored ever since Sunstreaker had his way with your paint. What did you do?"

Thundercracker was determined to get an honest answer, his brother's evasion was making him decidedly nervous.

"Nothing you need to worry about," came the terse reply.

Thundercracker raised an optic ridge.

"You're narrowing down the options, and I really don't like any of the ones that are left."

Starscream chuckled humorlessly.

"You're too fragging smart for your own good, you know that? And I'm not saying another word."

With that, Starscream fell into a deep recharge.

Thundercracker sat down next to his now recharging brother, and pulled Skywarp over to him.

"Just don't get yourself in trouble Star."

* * *

It had been a nearly a decaorn since Sideswipe last saw the brightly colored seeker in school, and it was starting to worry him. It was also getting to the point that he didn't want to go home anymore because every time he walked through the door his mom questioned him about Starscream and how he was doing. The standard answer had become "I don't know mom, haven't seen him."

He'd tried tracking the seekers down, but they'd vacated the alley where they'd been staying. Thundercracker had been around picking up Starscream's homework though, so obviously he wasn't dead or anything. Sideswipe had tried to talk to TC but the blue seeker had just run off. So the next time he spotted Thundercracker, Sides decided to follow him.

Maybe he could get them to come over again; if not that, at least get some answers to keep his mom from searching the city to ask them herself. When Sideswipe got to the alleyway the young seeker seemed to be heading for, a few minutes behind TC, the box was there. It was quite a ways from the old alleyway, and even farther from the school, but that made sense considering. He smiled, at least something was going right…for now…

"Anybody home? TC?"

To his amazement, Thundercracker came out from inside the box, carrying Skywarp. "Sideswipe? How the frag did you get here? Star's gonna be pissed."

Sideswipe grinned in relief at seeing the two seekers in one piece. "You know, you lot were fraggin' hard to track down. Just 'cuz you live in a box, TC, doesn't make it a mobile home. Anyway, I just wanted to try apologizing again. Since Starscream hasn't been to school and you wouldn't talk to me... I figured following you home was the easiest way. Where is he, anyway?"

Thundercracker glanced ruefully back into the box. "He's recharging right now. He got a new job and works all night."

Sideswipe cocked his head to the side. "New job? There aren't any jobs around here that run all night that would hire minors that are still in school…"

Thundercracker bit his lip and suddenly became very interested in playing with Skywarp. "Don't worry about it Sideswipe, we're doing fine. Just go home. We've had enough _help_ from you."

Sideswipe kicked himself mentally as he reassured the blue youngling that he wouldn't tell a spark about their new 'home'.

After promising the blue seeker, Sideswipe booked it home. If he was any later, his mom would come hunting for him as he hadn't told her about any 'get togethers' with his friends and he was already going to be several joors late as is. Sideswipe checked his comm…. yep 5 messages and he bet they were all from his mother.

* * *

Sunstreaker was waiting outside of the house for him.

"Where the frag have you been? Moms been worried sick, and she's going to ruin my paint even more if she throws anything else at me for not knowing where you are."

"Well I'm right here… So I think your paint is safe now."

Sunstreaker glared at him.

"Fragger. You're spending the rest of your evening helping me touch it up."

Sideswipe grimaced and walked slowly through the front door, expecting various projectiles to be thrown at his helm for being so late. In addition to that he got the usual cornering and questioning about Starscream along with the demand of why he was late.

Sideswipe yelped as a rolling pin made contact with his helm.

"Ouch! Primus, femme, this is youngling abuse!"

He put his hands in front of his face to prevent getting hit again.

Focus glared at him.

"It's mother abuse to not tell me where the frag you are! You could have at least answered you comm! And watch your language!"

This said, she aimed an empty energon canister at his head.

"Umm... forgot I had it on silent and what about watching your language, mom?" Sideswipe's optics went wide as Focus started to swing her arm. "Wait! I'll talk, I'll talk!"

When the impact never came, Sideswipe cautiously lowered his arms from in front of his face. His mother was still glaring at him, hands on her hips.

"Well? I'm waiting, talk."

Sideswipe made quick about the talking as he didn't want to incur the wrath of the final projectile.

"I saw two of the seekers today. Apparently they still live in the alleyway I told you about, and Starscream has a new job according to Thundercracker. It's a night job, which explains why he's not coming to school anymore."

Sideswipe had decided on the way home that his parents didn't need to know just yet where the seekers had moved to.

"Night job?" Focus gave Sideswipe a reproachful look. "There are no night jobs that would hire a minor, legally."

Sideswipe shrugged. "There's plenty of places that don't care about that particular law where he lives. His last job was at a bar."

Focus's optic twitched. "He did what?" her grip tightened on the empty cube she was holding. When Axel had mentioned he suspected Starscream of working at a bar, the femme hadn't really thought it of him.

Sideswipe held out his hands in a placating gesture. "Now, now lets calm down… that's all in the past."

"What's his job now?" Focus's glare drilled right into Sideswipe.

Sideswipe just shrugged.

"Dunno. Thundercracker wouldn't tell me, not that I'm surprised, and Starscream was asleep."

* * *

It was raining. No scratch that, it was pouring. But it matched Starscream's mood. Unwelcome thoughts drifted through his processor. Snippets of overheard conversation from when he was younger; neighbors muttering about how the whore's son was likely to grow up. 'It's a pity he'll be just like _her_…'

He couldn't believe that he'd gotten desperate enough to stoop this low… even at his old school in the slums mechs had thought his creator being a pleasurebot was shameful… and after spending a few vorns around a higher class of mechs, Starscream knew that there was no job in the city considered more degrading. He'd not wanted to get into it, resisted the idea of selling his body for credits for as long as he could, but he wasn't going to let his brother's starve because of his pride.

Still, the tri-colored seeker shuddered at the thought that he was doing even just one thing like _her_.

* * *

"Axel, I have a question." Axel looked up from his dinner as Focus spoke.

"Mmmmm?"

"Woah! Dad got out a whole vowel!" Sideswipe snerked into his energon.

Sunstreaker rolled his optics and smacked his brother, the energon splashing the red youngling all over his faceplates. "Sides you _are_ a moron. M is _not_ a vowel. I can't believe you got an A in advanced language. "

Sideswipe glared, energon dripping off his nose.

Focus gave the twins a glare, one that promised various projectiles in the near future if they kept it up.

"As I was saying, Axel, Sideswipe told me that Starscream had gotten a new job, and that it was a night job. What kind of jobs are there down in the slums that would hire a school aged kid to do the midnight shift. Isn't that illegal?"

"Mmmhmmm."

Focus's glare intensified.

"Axel. Put down the energon and pay attention."

Not wanting to incur the wrath of his sparkmate, Axel put down his dinner, and looked at her with a sigh.

"There are no jobs like that, no. And with the crackdown on the workplaces down there… no owner should be stupid enough to chance it right now. Depending on the severity of the law breach, they'd be looking at anything from loosing their business license to jail time."

"Then how would he even get a job?" Sideswipe was looking interested in the direction this conversation was taking.

"There are some places that are patrolled by… immoral fraggers. I hate to admit it, but I know some of my colleagues can be bought, some just plain don't care, and some… some enjoy the benefits."

Axel looked rather sickened at the thought.

Sideswipes mouth dropped.

"You sell colleges dad?"

Sunstreaker just smacked his brother again. "Sideswipe you are an idiot. He said colleagues not colleges."

Focus cleared her throat, "Anyway. Back to the conversation."

Axel managed to finish up his suspicious coughing fit and nodded. "I can guarantee he hasn't got a job in the part of town I normally patrol, but there's plenty of other places and various things he could be doing, none of them legal, or savory."

"That settles it." Focus started drinking her engeron again as the entire family gave her a funny look.

Axel raised an optic ridge. "Care to let your sparkmate in on this?"

"We need to do something about those seekers."


	6. In Which the Seekers Are Able to Fly

Alrighty guys, this is it. The last chapter. It's been fun and we've enjoyed every single one of your reviews. Thanks so much for them all. Hugs and cookies for all of you. And a huge thanks to our beta Taralynden, she has been amazing.

Hope you enjoy the final chapter of Brothers:

**In Which the Seekers Are Able to Fly**

* * *

Starscream was on his way home from his latest 'job'.

This one had been the worst yet. The mech had given the seeker quite a few dents and from the way Star's wings felt, said mech had attempted to detach them., and a few armor plates were detached. You'd think it'd be in their best interests to keep him intact… apparently not. It was getting quite hard for Starscream to keep walking, he was sure energon was leaking somewhere from the inside of his left arm, but it was in a place he couldn't see or reach. Warnings kept popping up in front of his optics, but he ignored them. Low energy warnings were nothing new, with what few credits he could earn to buy energon, with and most of it went to his brothers.

Starscream didn't know how low on energon he actually was, nor did he realize he had been recharge walking, until he ran into something really solid. Stumbling backward, Starscream barely managed to keep himself from landing on his aft. Looking up with dim opitcs he could just make out the form of a very large black mech.

"Sorry..."

Starscream hoped his lame excuse for an apology would keep him from getting anymore slagged than he was, that was all he could force out of his vocalizer. It was probably damaged too…

The mech moved into the light, and caught Starscream's arm to steady the drained seeker.

"It's fine. You just made it easier to find you." the mech chuckled quietly.

Starscream looked up startled, "Axel?"

What did Axel want with him? Was he here to take away TC and Warp? Had someone at school found out about Starscream's job and called the Enforcers to look into it? Many more thoughts crossed the red and white seeker's mind in just a few kliks, and all of them ended badly.

Axel smiled at the worried face Starscream made. It was the 'OH FRAG! I'm in deep slag' face everyone who he'd caught violating the laws made as he brought them in for questioning.

"Starscream, relax. Focus would kill me if I brought you home all worked up in a knot." the black mech stated as an attempt to calm down the seeker.

Axel watched as Starscream's face went from worry to shock.

Of all the things he had thought Axel to say, Starscream had not expected that.

"Wha- What?" Starscream choked out, his peds nearly giving out due to lack of energy and shock, forcing him to rely on Axel to support his weight.

Axel kept a steady hand on Starscream's arm and supported the young seeker.

"You heard me. Now let's get you and your brothers home before Focus comes looking for us. I'm not sure we want her coming after you herself. You know how she gets...i. Could be bad for everyone's health. Now which way to the other two?"

Still numb with shock, and wondering what the black mech really wanted, Starscream pointed in the direction of where the alleyway was, seeing as how he had little choice in his current state.

"How? Why?"

Between Starscream's currently flighty processor and the fragged vocalizer, he couldn't get out what he really wanted to ask. Axel began to pull him along.

"Don't worry about it right now. Just concentrate on keeping coherent until we get to your brothers."

Axel kept a sharp eye out. Now would not be the time to have a run in with Driftblade's gang.

* * *

With Starscream's help, Axel made it to the alleyway where the seekers lived without any incident.

"Thundercracker? You in there?" Axel called out, hoping the blue seeker would answer him as the red and white seeker had passed out upon reaching their destination.

To Axel's relief, Thundercracker poked his head out of the small cardboard box.

"Who's there?" he asked nervously looking about trying to find who would know his name other than Starscream and Sideswipe.

Axel stepped forward carrying the now limp Starscream. Thundercracker's optics went wide.

"Star! What happened?"

The blue seeker ran out of the box and frantically started trying to get a response out his brother.

"Star! Star! Please answer me!"

Energon started to appear in his optics and spill down his face when Starscream did not respond.

Axel knelt next to Thundercracker and shifted Starscream in his arms so that he could place a hand on the distressed younglings shoulder.

"Hey, don't cry. He's just very drained right now, he'll be fine once he gets some recharge and a good meal. Now go get Skywarp, and we'll go home, where he won't have to worry about you two being slagged while he's knocked out."

"You think I'm stupid don't you?" Thundercracker gave Axel a fierce glare. "I've seen him slagged enough times to know that a meal is not gonna fix this. Now kindly frag off and I'll get him to a medic."

Axel gave a forced laugh.

"Focus would murder me. Now grab your younger brother and let's go. Starscream's not going to get any better while we sit here discussing this. We'll get him to a medic I promise."

Thundercracker nodded slowly, realizing that he had no other choice, he certainly couldn't wrestle his unconscious brother from the burly police officer, and ran to grab the sleeping sparkling from the box. Coming back out he tried to dry his optics with his free hand, and only partially succeeded. Seeing Axel had already started walking away, Thundercracker hurried to catch up, not wanting to be left behind.

* * *

All Thundercracker could think about was the condition that Starscream was in, and if he really would be okay like Axel had said. He couldn't help but feel guilty, as it was him and Skywarp that were the cause of it all. If they hadn't been around Starscream not only would have been able to properly refuel but likely wouldn't have gotten desperate enough to get a job as a pleasurebot.

The blue seeker was brought out of his musings as Axel walked up to him.

"They said you can see him now."

Starscream was still unconscious, but now it was from painkillers instead of pain. Thundercracker supposed that was an acceptable change, but still, it was never good to be unconscious for long. You never knew what could happen…

* * *

Axel left the young seekers with their brother and went to talk with the doctor.

"Thanks. I know it's late, but you know how Focus can get… especially when younglings are concerned."

The doctor chuckled at Axel's comment. They'd been friends for vorns, so he did indeed know.

"It's alright, couldn't recharge anyway. He can leave as soon as he's coherent enough to walk. I'd let him sleep out the night though, he needs it."

* * *

Starscream glared sullenly into his energon.

"So talk. I'm not sitting here all day. TC and Warp are waiting in case you forgot."

Starscream took a swift glance up at Axel, who was sitting across from him. Focus had taken the other two seeker younglings home with her. Starscream had been informed that he could pick them up 'later'…whatever that meant.

Axel sighed, "You're not gonna make this easy are you?"

Starscream stopped glaring at his energon, and redirected his intensified glare to Axel.

"No."

Ugh, the scratchy sound his vocalizer was making was driving him nuts… he wanted to hunt down the fragger who'd damaged it…

"I'm not the bad guy Starscream." The seeker snorted.

"Yeah, and I'm the tooth fairy."

"Starscream, I want you to do one thing for me. Stop being difficult for one klik, and hear me out."

"Whatever."

The seeker muttered and went back to glaring at the defenseless energon. The fragging groundpounder had dragged him here as soon as the doctor released him, saying he wanted to 'talk'. Probably code for how he was planning on screwing up Starscream's life now that he knew…almost everything.

"The way I see it, you have two choices. I can take you and your brothers to the station. I've got more than a few things that can get you impounded and them taken away."

Starscream's look darkened. He'd known the cop was up to no good.

"Or… Are you still listening Starscream? Or you can come home with me."

The tri-colored seeker could not believe what he'd heard, as he was trying to pick his jaw up off the floor, (not that he hadn't been hit on by an Enforcer before but this was his friends' creator after all!) he said the first thing that came to his vocalizer, "Excuse me? You want me to do what? I didn't think you were into that type of thing…"

Axel raised an optic ridge at the seeker wondering how he'd jumped to that particular conclusion, and then it dawned on him exactly what the youngling's new job was and he smacked his face with his palm, groaned and tried to explain.

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant... Primus, this conversation is _not_ going how I pictured it. Focus and I, with much input from the twins, I might add, want you and your brothers to come stay with us."

All Starscream could do was stare. Axel tried to prompt a response out of him.

"So? What do you think?"

Starscream decided to hide his confusion and shock behind his standard sneer.

"So what? You want money? Or you just want me in your debt?"

"Starscream, do you need me to repeat the first choice for you?"

"So you're blackmailing me?"

"No, I'm trying to get three kids off of the street and into a decent life. Is that a crime?"

"Well technically yes, blackmail _is_ a crime."

"It's only blackmail if I'm getting something out of it. However, I do believe _you_ are the one getting something out of this deal."

The seeker huffed.

"I don't need charity. We were doing fine."

"This isn't charity. And no you weren't. Did I or did I not save you from bleeding to death yesterday?" Axel's expression softened. "And there's no shame in admitting you need help. Everyone needs help sometimes. Even I have had to sit down and accept help from someone else."

* * *

"We're here. Will you get the door for me?"

Axel jerked his head at the door; he couldn't open it with bags of energon cubes in his arms. Axel had commed home to give the waiting horde the news and then dragged his captive off to the store with him. Starscream grunted assent and pushed it open.

The instant he opened the door, Starscream was dogpiled.

"Off. Getting squished." The tri-colored seeker set about peeling TC, Warp, and of all mechs…Sideswipe off of his cockpit.

"Gee Sides, I didn't know you thought of me like that." Starscream smirked seductively at the red mech and watched the groundpounder scramble away in record time.

This however did not diminish Sideswipe's enthusiasm.

"I knew you'd say yes! I knew it I knew it! You owe me Sunshine!"

Sideswipe did not get to go any further as he was decked not only by Starscream, but by Sunstreaker as well.

Sidswipe sat up rubbing his helm.

"Hey Screamer why'd _you_ hit me?"

"Well, one: you're obnoxious, two: you were betting on my life, three: you're obnoxious and four: you just needed it."

"How come you didn't deck Sunny then?" Sideswipe whined.

Starscream rolled his optics. "Do I _look_ suicidal?"

Sunstreaker just smirked.

* * *

Starscream slowly woke up, he didn't online his optics as he was comfortable on a warm, very spacious berth. Wait; there was no berth in the alleyway... Starscream's optics onlined immediately and he sat up, trying to figure out where he was. Looking around the cheerfully colored room, the previous day's events all came back. This was 'home' now. Whatever _that_ meant.

As he leaned back against the wall, Thundercracker pushed at his back.

"Star, stop moving… too early…"

The blue seeker was cut off as something loud and red barreled into the room.

"Good morning Starshine! Cybertron says hello!"

Starscream glared.

"Go away."

"I've got to torment my new 'brother' somehow."

Sides put on his most angelic face.

"Fragger." Starscream mutterd.

"Don't let mom hear that language." Sunstreaker dully drawled as he walked up. "She'll peg you with the closest object she can find, and it's not always blunt."

"So that's where you guys picked up throwing random objects at each other from..." Thundercracker mumbled sleepily.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe looked at each other.

"Yeah, I guess we did pick up that habit..." Sideswipe shrugged. "But at least we don't chuck sharp objects. It's usually the empty paint cans Sunny leaves around."

Starscream rolled his optics with a sigh as he moved the recharging Skywarp from on top of his cockpit to his side, Thundercracker moved to snuggle more firmly into his other side.

Things would never be boring, that was for sure.

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

It was hard to believe it had been a full vorn since they'd moved in with the twins' family. Surprisingly it hadn't been as terrible as Starscream had feared. Other than how Sideswipe made an aft of himself on a regular basis, it really was peaceful . It was amazing how much more efficiently one could get their homework done when there were no gangs tromping through or streetlights randomly turning off.

Sunstreaker had started teaching Skywarp to finger paint. The sparkling was in love with it. Although, the first few times, Skywarp hadn't at all liked the wet feeling. His expression had almost mirrored Sunstreaker's as paint ended up _everywhere_.

Thundercracker was starting highschool and Starscream was studying for the college entrance exams, now that caring for his brothers wasn't a full time job. He could hardly believe that going to the Science Academy might end up being more than just an idle day dream.

Starscream pulled himself out of his musings as he walked into the house announcing, "I'm home."

And for the first time in his life, he realized it was true.

* * *

**~owari**

Woot, our first decent length story finished! It's a bit over 20,000 words and I think was around 50 pages in MS word.

This story was a year in the making... meaning because both kittara and I procrastinate, that we worked on it for a month or two then the bunnies ran away for a year and came back right before she left for basic training for the Air Force, allowing us to actually finish this.

Funny thing is... this isn't the story we set out to write... the sequal (which isn't even close to ready to post unfortunately) was the fic we were origianlly going to write... lol


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